IN PERPETUITY

(Guest blog from Gloria at Grandma's Army)

March 24, 2019

According to the  National Insurance Institute of Israel, the number of civilians murdered in enemy activity - since Israel declared its independence in 1948 - stands today at 3,134. In a country with only 6.4 million Jewish citizens, this is a staggering figure.

Enemy terror attacks have left 3,175 orphans in their wake, among them 114 who lost both parents, 822 widows and widowers and 926 bereaved parents.

Last week, another 12 orphans were added. The father of the twelve siblings, 47 year old Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, was murdered by a 19 year-old terrorist. The other two victims of the tragic terrorist attack were two 19 year old soldiers, one of whom was killed and the other is fighting for his life. Adding to the number of bereaved parents.  

As the result of a grassroots campaign, the Israeli government agreed to  recognize civilian victims of terror as it does soldiers who fall in the line of duty.  In the 1970’s,  the campaign pressured the government to pay pensions to families of terrorist victims. They also lobbied for the inclusion of a memorial ceremony for civilian victims of terror during the official state Remembrance Day ceremonies, at the Mount Herzl military cemetery. This idea was strongly opposed by the families of fallen soldiers. However, a compromise was reached in 2000 - to hold the memorial ceremony for victims of terror two hours before the ceremony for fallen soldiers. The two ceremonies continue to be held separately.

 Memorial for fallen soldiers

Until the establishment of the official ceremonies, bereaved families erected their own memorial plaques and markers at the places where terrorist acts had occurred. They are dotted all over the Israeli landscape. Even next to my Senior Residence complex and moshav Shoresh both situated in a corner of the  Judean Hills, there is a small square with no less than three memorials – two for terrorist victims and one for a soldier killed in one of Israel's wars. 

In spite of the official ceremonies for terrorist victims, some families continue to set up their own memorials. My daughter was left with five children when her husband was murdered in a terrorist attack 13 years ago. She has recently planted 33 trees in two dunam of "no man's land" adjacent to her home  in moshav Ganei Tal, in memory of her late husband, Gideon ז"ל.

A memorial website has since been set up which tells the story of the lives of 4,146 victims killed in enemy attacks since 1860 - the first days of Zionism - until the present day.